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EXCLUSIVE: I Am Improving With Every Game For Barcelona - Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was in top form in Sunday's demolition of Real Zaragoza, contributing with two goals. In an exclusive interview with Goal.com, Zlatan said that he is enjoying life in the Catalan capital...
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £70.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £70.00 | Draw £45.00 | Barcelona £14.40 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £80.00 | Draw £40.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £85.00 | Draw £45.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £75.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £13.70 |
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Oct 26, 2009 4:51:16 PM
The referee signalled for a free kick. Zlatan Ibramimovic placed the ball some thirty metres from goal. There was a quick exchange of words with a couple of Barca players. A slow hand clap built up around the Camp Nou. It got louder and faster as more fans clocked on. Zlatan took one look at the keeper, then at the wall of sweat built up in front of him from the Zaragoza players.
The claps were now building up in speed as Zlatan took his run up. At the point of connection between boot and ball the whole Camp Nou was in full applause. Seconds later the ball was bulging the back of the net. The stadium exploded into a cacophony of clapping and cheering. The shouts of 'Ibra, Ibra' rang around the Camp Nou like a war cry. In the centre circle a joyful Ibrahimovic punched the air with his fist in a salute to the fans. It was his finest goal yet in Barcelona's colours.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is as approachable as he is intelligent. Fluent in English and Italian, after a short time here in Spain, he is already able to understand things put to him in Spanish. Speaking in perfect English however, he told Goal.com that although his free kick technique was reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo, his inspiration comes from a totally different source.
"I used to train with Sinisa Mihajlovic, and he knows how to shoot free kicks. I had him for one or two years and when you see him take free kicks the only thing you can do is learn from him,” Ibrahimovic stated.
'Ibra' worked with the former Serbian international at Inter, before his summer move to Barcelona, where it seems he is in a permanent honeymoon phase. The Barca fans have almost forgotten their own legendary hero Samuel Eto'o, in a rush to embrace their new towering number nine.
Given his goal return so far it's an understandable reaction from the Barca faithful. In the eight games played so far in La Liga, Ibrahimovic shares top spot with Valencia's David Villa in the race for the Pichichi. Both strikers have scored seven goals. Ibrahimovic told Goal.com that there is still much more to come, especially as he is now over the injury he was carrying when he joined the Spanish league champions.
“Now I'm feeling very good. I had an operation before the season began on my hand. I didn't train with the team in pre season. I had like a week maybe a week and a half before the Championship started,” he stated.
That Ibrahimovic has been able to settle down so quickly reflects both on his qualities, but also of the team he is playing in. The understanding the tall striker has established with the diminutive Argentine, Leo Messi, is already proving to be a scintillating insight into the future potential of Barcelona's strike force.
“I am settling down now more and more and adapting to the team more and more. With each match I feel much better physically. I am adapting and I feel I am getting better. In every game I play I try and do my best”
Ibrahimovic is targeting a haul of major trophies. While the Swede would love to add to his Serie A titles with one from La Liga, a Champions League medal is also a high priority. Perhaps one of the reasons he wants to do so well on the European stage is because he will miss out on the World Cup in South Africa next year. Sweden's failure to qualify for the World Cup, is not only a major blow to the national team, but it will deprive football fans worldwide, of seeing Ibrahimovic perform at the highest level But the player himself has a very philosophical approach to his international disappointment
“Yeah we didn't make it to South Africa perhaps it was a case of some bad luck,” Zlatan stated.
“Look to be realistic we are Sweden. I don't know how much you expect from Sweden but we are always doing our best. This time we didn't get the qualification, but we had a really difficult group and I think we had a lot of bad luck in this qualification,” he concluded.
Judging by the form he showed against Real Zaragoza, it appears that Ibrahimovic is intent on channelling his bad luck and disappointment at not reaching South Africa, into achieving something positive for his club.
Ashish Sharma, Goal.com
The claps were now building up in speed as Zlatan took his run up. At the point of connection between boot and ball the whole Camp Nou was in full applause. Seconds later the ball was bulging the back of the net. The stadium exploded into a cacophony of clapping and cheering. The shouts of 'Ibra, Ibra' rang around the Camp Nou like a war cry. In the centre circle a joyful Ibrahimovic punched the air with his fist in a salute to the fans. It was his finest goal yet in Barcelona's colours.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is as approachable as he is intelligent. Fluent in English and Italian, after a short time here in Spain, he is already able to understand things put to him in Spanish. Speaking in perfect English however, he told Goal.com that although his free kick technique was reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo, his inspiration comes from a totally different source.
"I used to train with Sinisa Mihajlovic, and he knows how to shoot free kicks. I had him for one or two years and when you see him take free kicks the only thing you can do is learn from him,” Ibrahimovic stated.
'Ibra' worked with the former Serbian international at Inter, before his summer move to Barcelona, where it seems he is in a permanent honeymoon phase. The Barca fans have almost forgotten their own legendary hero Samuel Eto'o, in a rush to embrace their new towering number nine.
Given his goal return so far it's an understandable reaction from the Barca faithful. In the eight games played so far in La Liga, Ibrahimovic shares top spot with Valencia's David Villa in the race for the Pichichi. Both strikers have scored seven goals. Ibrahimovic told Goal.com that there is still much more to come, especially as he is now over the injury he was carrying when he joined the Spanish league champions.
“Now I'm feeling very good. I had an operation before the season began on my hand. I didn't train with the team in pre season. I had like a week maybe a week and a half before the Championship started,” he stated.
That Ibrahimovic has been able to settle down so quickly reflects both on his qualities, but also of the team he is playing in. The understanding the tall striker has established with the diminutive Argentine, Leo Messi, is already proving to be a scintillating insight into the future potential of Barcelona's strike force.
“I am settling down now more and more and adapting to the team more and more. With each match I feel much better physically. I am adapting and I feel I am getting better. In every game I play I try and do my best”
Ibrahimovic is targeting a haul of major trophies. While the Swede would love to add to his Serie A titles with one from La Liga, a Champions League medal is also a high priority. Perhaps one of the reasons he wants to do so well on the European stage is because he will miss out on the World Cup in South Africa next year. Sweden's failure to qualify for the World Cup, is not only a major blow to the national team, but it will deprive football fans worldwide, of seeing Ibrahimovic perform at the highest level But the player himself has a very philosophical approach to his international disappointment
“Yeah we didn't make it to South Africa perhaps it was a case of some bad luck,” Zlatan stated.
“Look to be realistic we are Sweden. I don't know how much you expect from Sweden but we are always doing our best. This time we didn't get the qualification, but we had a really difficult group and I think we had a lot of bad luck in this qualification,” he concluded.
Judging by the form he showed against Real Zaragoza, it appears that Ibrahimovic is intent on channelling his bad luck and disappointment at not reaching South Africa, into achieving something positive for his club.
Ashish Sharma, Goal.com
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